J Hrlec wrote:Unfortunately I would have to say no, I do not believe that would be viable.

I am not sure the deamnd is there in the area and what would make people stop there instead of the other larger existing bookstores mentioned above. As well, there really isn't that much "consumer" foot traffic in the Madison Village area.

J Hrlec

Actually the foot traffic at night is not what it could be, but it is not as dead as many otherareas. Maybe it could be the first step in recovery from when the city ran Chris Andrews out.

There is space, though my friend just grabbed Chain Link Addiction's spot two weeks ago.It is not a walk in business, but he said he could get it for less than a warehouse!

Baby steps, in bringing back the area.

Bill

It brings a smile to my face every time I hear papers cannot make it in this age.

.

Jim,

good to hear that someone will already be filling Chain Link's building. I hope that Lakewood can keep improving to bring in more traffic, but I live right in that area and like you mentioned, it is not what it could be.

I see many other empty store fronts there and many which seem occupied but never "open".

It is interesting to see so many people have given this idea some thought even before the question was posted.

I have dreamed of having a bookstore--have planned it, named it, drawn it. But I always knew it couldn't be just books and I think the book end of my business would have to fill a niche. Today, you couldn't just stock a lot of books and be able to sell them at a competitive price. I always figured it would be a passion I was following but that my "bread & butter" would have to come from other aspects of my business. But, I do envision it as a place for people to gather to experience & enjoy each other and the neighborhood.

Brian Pedaci wrote:I think a bookstore could survive if it were more than a bookstore. A cafe/antique/art/secondhand/coffee/book shop in a renovated old home would be uniquely Lakewood.

Brian

What a spectacular vision.

There are more than a couple places that could fit this right on Detroit, Madison or Clifton.

Damn, I love kicking it with people.

J. H.

7 years ago when this project moved off the pages of the Visionary Alignment for Lakewoodinto reality, we sat down and mapped the assets, issues and problems. One of the biggestfor bringing the real mainstreets back was what we had identified as "Dead Zones." Itwas written about here, and can be seen in the old forum archives. These were blocks ofbusinesses that did not court nor need walk in traffic. They grabbed store fronts becauseof the cheapness, no other real reason. In doing so, it started to kill off some of the walkin businesses.

Kristine

Go to the old deck archives at: http://lakewoodobserver.com/deck do a search for book storeand you will see some great conversations. the VAL was working on a bookstore whenRose books opened up on Madison. It was the belief of the VAL to not use our fundingnor "muscle" against Lakewood businesses. So the ideas, contacts, and books were shelved.

Sadly, Rose Books never caught on, and the conversation has resurfaced with some of the old investors, and some new players.

You have brought up some of the exact things I have been thinking about. I have given this a lot of thought right down to "knowing" what kind of art pieces I would display first when I opened. Coffee, gallery, but I also envisioned some kind of an education center. A free place for groups to meet, help for people looking for a job, community classes, and definitely authors/talent featured regularly. I even thought of a really good mags/newspaper section (I love those little urban news stands) but don't know if I can sell many these days. It would be a combination of all of my favorite places that I ever hung out (usually Chicago). I will hold off on letting you know what I want to call it---

Jim,

Thanks Jim. I was bummed when Rose Books (think that was the name) closed on Madison. I just think it was a matter of people not knowing that it was there. When I moved to Lakewood there was still a bookstore where Chipolte is now. Again, though it cost a lot more to buy a book there than a big box store.

I went to the place in the link below when I was in D.C. and thought it was a nice mix of a couple ideas. I was actually there for breakfast which was delicious...but they also had books, performances, coffee, and more.

Just reading different people's versions of this, I want to go there. Lakewood, with it's amazing old houses-- and its moms who want their kids to love reading-- and want some place quiet to go to work on projects when the kids are in school.. and artists and musicians looking for places to meet and maybe even work, seems the perfect place.

Kristine-- I love the community center part of the idea. It reminds me of the Arts Collinwood cafe on Waterloo where they have kids arts classes and kids art decorating some of the walls as well as a pretty cool big gallery with cutting edge art through a doorway.

My favorite cafe in Cleveland (I think it's still there) always was the Arabica (Ara-geek-a -- since it went with Case-- as opposed to the Ara-freak-a on Coventry) that's in a big beautiful old house in University Circle. On Bellflower I think. It was three floors, and it's very much a house still, with a fireplace, big comfortable window seats upstairs and down, places to lay on the floor and read, just like home, couches, some rooms set aside for meetings or for studying, big porches, back porches, little rooms big rooms. Bands and singers and choirs perform there-- amazing gospel choir Sunday mornings when I was going to school around there.

You know we have the perfect house here somewhere--- probably a couple of them, and probably all the resources needed if people would get together on it.

I bet the people at Mac's Backs (the one next to Tommy's on Coventry) would have all kinds of advice for how to do a used bookstore, and they're great there and would be happy to share. One of the things they do is buy your books back after you've read them, and then give you a deal on the next one. (I just bought a Saul Bellow novel the other day and the guy at the counter looked at it and said, "Oh I didn't see that, don't forget to bring it back.") Very library-like. They have a small section of cutting edge books, the newest of the new, and they take orders. They've been there my whole life-- with poetry readings and book signings and art shows. They are the place to go to find out what's up with Cleveland authors, and there's a lot of space reserved for them there and they give them a lot of support. (Filmmakers too.)

We could do something like that and more. It seems like it would be so much fun. The house element kind of gives it a home tour vibe. Something for everyone.

You now last summer I laid out my whole vision to a mutual friend of ours (I've only a told a few people over the last 9 years or so). The name is a play on the idea of library (as you mentioned in your post), the newsstand, gathering , community--and hopefully a little hip. Let me think about telling you here...

I really do envision an urban feel but cozy. There was a house in Wicker Park (Chicago) turned into bar/hang out-- it was fun to go there at hand in the living room, or kitchen.

The question, or why I've been reluctant, is that in recent years publishing has really struggled. Do people buy books/mags in a traditional way anymore, or does it matter as long as the store has other services/products to support the venture?

I wish I had some extra cash to burn so I could invest in a nice little lounge for people to read,write,socialize,etc. I think I would call it the Book Nook or something lame like that. I wouldnt want it as conjested as The Root. Just a place to relax,have a muffin and coffee,etc. Nothing too extragagent. Maybe some low/soft music in the background. Possibly some nice local artwork on the walls,things of that nature. Just some place homey. Comfy furniture wouldnt hurt...its so much easier said then done though...Id like to see something like that around here....

There are days when I honestly just want to sit and read a "real" book. Nothing fancy, no electronics, just a good ol book. When my kids are in school, I will sit back in a lounge chair on my front porch with one of the dogs and just relax. I kind of escape life and love that. I have talked to my husband about doing this for 2 years now. I think it was one night when one dog was barking at 2 am and just would not stop, that I kept saying I wanted to do something else. A book store popped into my head. Then I saw bean bags, fireplaces, dogs on dog beds, doggie treats, human treats etc etc. I too drew something out and put it away. I think there is a market for it. Just making sure to do it right, but I think it could be something amazing.